A sensor, actuator and/or measuring instrument intended to be connected to a process control system in an oil production facility, or an industrial monitoring or control system or a distributed control system (DCS) requires configuration settings in order for it to correctly perform the connection. These configuration settings are downloaded to the sensor, actuator or any other type of field device at the time it is being deployed in the field, usually using a physical connection. This physical connection may be a wired signal connection to the field device or a direct wire connection between the field device and a handheld configuration unit or computer. A communication infrastructure of an industrial monitoring or control system frequently contains a wired fieldbus infrastructure to which a large number of field devices can be connected and controlled. Such an industrial monitoring or control system may include one or more wireless networks. The same system may utilize a number of different field bus communication protocols such as Foundation, HART and Profibus.
Field devices may be arranged for wireless communication such that data or other information is exchanged wirelessly between an industrial monitoring or control system and the field device. A system may use more than one wireless protocol or standard such as ZigBee, Bluetooth, WirelessHART or a protocol developed by ABB called Wireless interface for sensors and actuators (WISA). For wireless systems the configuration data also contains security and network information which allows the device to join the wireless network. This makes it impossible to use the wireless network when downloading the initial configuration settings to the field device. And if the field device is located in a hazardous environment there are requirements that the field device must be physically encapsulated, which makes it difficult to carry out the initial configuration using a direct wire connection between a handheld and the field device.